EDITORS DESK: GROUP THINK

One of the many things that make this job both inspiring and fun is the opportunity to interact with readers—educators who over the years have become trusted advisors and contributors. These folks participate in working groups and panels at our events, cross-post daily blog posts to our site, and publish their work in these pages.

This month’s issue is packed with them. First, Carl Hooker (@mrhooker), Director of Instructional Technology for Eanes ISD (TX) and 2015 Tech & Learning Leader of the Year, provides a stellar summary of our most recent SchoolCIO Summit: “It’s clear to me that there is a lot of good happening in education around the country, despite what some news articles may say. These school leaders shared many valuable resources and research in their efforts to help each student along their own personal learning journey. For me, I want to take back the idea of really examining our school schedule and the limitations it might be having on learning for some students.” For our cover story, contributor Adam Schoenbart (@ MrSchoenbart), an award-winning English teacher at Ossining High School (NY), breaks down a variety of tech tools that can improve student writing skills: “Technology allows us to defy time and space, to break down classroom walls, and to solve many problems. Most importantly for student writing, it allows for powerful communication and growth to help all students do better during the writing process, and not just after the assignment is complete.” Not to be outdone, a panel of district leaders trade best 1:1 practices.